The San Diego Padres are balancing holiday giving with offseason planning as they prepare for next week's winter meetings in Orlando, where General Manager A.J. Preller will look to improve the roster through free agency.
On Tuesday, the team continued their annual holiday giving tour with a special shopping trip for 100 fourth and fifth-grade students from Horton Elementary School. Padres CEO Erik Greupner kicked off the morning at a Walmart in Kearny Mesa, where students were joined by current players, alumni, and front office members to shop for their families.
"How are you guys doing today? Are you excited to go shopping?" Greupner asked the enthusiastic students.
Padres All-Star reliever Jason Adam was among the players participating in the event, helping kids navigate the aisles while connecting with them on their level.
"I love the heart of it. They're helping these kids shop for the people they care about, so it's just that generosity is going to pass on from generation to generation and show them that they matter, and they're loved and cared for, and they're just awesome kids, and they deserve something like this," Adam said.
For students like Adrian Alcala, meeting the players was a dream come true.
"I can't believe I'm actually meeting the real Padres," Alcala said. "This is a dream come true. This is unbelievable. I can't believe I'm here right now. This is crazy."
The event brought back childhood memories for Adam, who shared a humorous story about his own holiday gift experiences.
"The big gift I remember was the air hockey table that I ended up breaking because I tried to smooth it out with some lotion and I clogged all the air holes," Adam said.
While the team focuses on giving back to the community this week, next week's winter meetings will shift attention to roster improvements. The Padres are expected to target starting pitching in free agency after Dylan Cease signed with the Toronto Blue Jays, leaving a significant hole in their rotation.
The winter meetings in Orlando will provide Preller with opportunities to address the team's needs as they look to build on their recent success and remain competitive in the National League West.
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